In life there are many things we have to learn how to do and face
no matter what. One of those constants are cleaning. Yes, those
"lovely" household chores that include, but are not limited
to, doing the laundry, mopping, sweeping, un-dusting shelves, cleaning
the bathroom, doing the dishes, and taking out the garbage. Honestly,
I've never liked doing chores. It's not because I don't want to be
clean, it's because my mother is a neat-freak. We can't just have a
clean surface; we need to have a clean surface, interior, and exterior
home. I try my best to clean according to her instructions, but
sometimes she'll inspect a glass table I've just cleaned and say its
still dirty or that I've missed a spot, *sigh*. Although I dislike
cleaning I still do it, and I find mopping the floors to be the most
tolerant and easiest chore for me to do.
Do you particularly like to clean? Do you hate it, but do it
anyway? Which chore is the easiest for you to do? Which chore is the
hardest for you to do? Which cleaning products are the most superior in
your opinion? Share your tales of cleanliness in the comments down
below. Happy Posting!

You pose an intriguing forum question. I have noticed some ironic
happenings in my daily life as well. Sometimes I completely overlook it
and other times I can't stop thinking about. With technology increasing
everyday through new forms of social media and cleaner ways to fuel
cars; I feel that humans are more connected than ever. This doesn't mean
we're always socially conscious of our carbon-mark on the world, but
deja-vu can strike at any moment. Yesterday, my mom and I were shopping
at a Western Beef supermarket in the Bronx. We were picking up meat,
soda, and other party foods for our family dinner this Sunday. When we
were at the check-out counter we saw five cops arresting a young black
girl. The cashier told us that the young girl walked out of the
supermarket trying to steal a box of kotex (period-pads). My mother and
I shook our heads. The cashier was disappointed as well. Sure, the girl
was caught stealing and justice had to be served, but she didn't need to
be arrested and surrounded by five cops. She wasn't even resisting and
it's not like there was a terror threat. It turns out that the manager
of the supermarket called the cops on her. My mom said that the manager
should of gave the young girl a warning and told her to leave it in the
supermarket. A lady that was standing behind us said that if the girl
would of asked her for a tampon then she would have given her one,
because she had some in her purse. After we got our groceries, I had to
go to work and my mother returned home. In the evening, I scroll through
my Facebook feed and find an article about a law that said free tampons
will be available in public schools and shelters. Oh the irony of us
seeing a girl arrested for taking something she so desperately needed
and the government's action hours later to make that said object free in
certain public institutions. When I told my mom about the article she
wondered if the girl's arrest influenced the pass of that legislation,
but I highly doubt it.

These past five years, I don't really go anywhere for the Fourth of
July just because I worry about my safety too much. I live in the Bronx
and although my borough always gets a bad rep for crime; I don't like
being far from home on a night when firecrackers and fireworks are being
shot-up in the sky. When I was a kid I used to go to my family's house
to watch the nearby fire-crackers in the sky. So I'll probably be at
home watching the fireworks on T.V. , not worrying about standing in
crowds at midnight.

Let me just say that South Korea is one of my dream destinations
and it's so cool to hear from someone who's actually been there for
study abroad. I fell in love with South Korea five years ago when I was
still a senior in high-school. It was winter-break and my close friend
introduced me to a new genre of music called "K-POP," (Korean
Pop Music). At first I didn't know what to think about the numerous boy
and girl groups dancing in brightly-colored music videos and
sharp-synchronized choreography. However, a few days later I became
hooked on one group's music and then I started to become a fan of other
k-pop groups and the rest was history. Through their Korean Pop Music I
learned about the culture and language little by little. I watched some
popular Korean Dramas (K-Dramas) like Boys Over Flowers and Coffee
Prince. Like many other Asian countries, South Korea places a emphasis
on respect for your elders and a strong work ethic. Here in the U.S.,
the youth sometimes run rampant and don't always address their elders
with the proper respect and manner. I've never been to South Korea, but
I hope to go there one day in my life.
The closest trip I went on that was close to "studying
abroad", was a trip to Japan. During my sophomore year of college,
I took a Japanese Language course to fulfill general language
requirements. One day my professor told us about an amazing opportunity
to travel to japan for 10 days for free. However, there was a catch;
we'd have to fill out a long application that included an essay stating
why we wanted to go on the trip, three letters of recommendation, and an
above C average. Luckily, I was one of the five chosen from my school to
go on the trip. 5-10 students were chosen from each participating CUNY
school in NYC. The trip was epic, fun, delicious, adventurous , safe,
magical, and inspirational. We visited historic temples in the
countryside of Kyoto and we were able to walk the streets of the busy
Metropolis that is Tokyo. We saw cosplayers on the lawn of the Manga
museum and wandered through Akihabara (the place for video game and
manga/anime merchandise). Although I didn't take a course and live on my
own through this trip, our days were filled with educational and fun
sight-seeing stops. It felt like we were learning and doing work as
well, because at the end of our trip we had to write an essay about our experience.

There were many happy moments in my life, so picking just one is
going to be a bit of a challenge. But, I think I've got one. One of my
happiest moments was when I found out I'd be going on a trip to
Disney-World with my family. My aunt paid for all of our tickets and we
took the plane together. I was 13 years old at the time and I'd never
been in an airplane before, so I marveled at everything from the shops
at the airport to the window seat I sat in. I felt scared when we
started to lift-off into the sky, but my fear passed. When we got to
Disney there was so much to do and see. It was one of the best family
trips I've ever been on.

Since summer has started, many people will flock to pools,
beaches, lakes or water parks to have fun and cool-off. In this hot
weather which do you prefer: the beach, the pool, or going to a lake?
Tell us about your favorite body of water to visit in the summer in the
comments down below. Happy Posting!

I think I still doubt my self-contained when it comes to major
academic or life choices. I like to create a stable path for myself so
that I have a plan that I can follow. However, life is unpredictable and
my choices can lead to both success and failure.

I was raised by my mother who played both parental roles for me
since my father left our life early on. She has never limited me in
education, only in good habits. She didn't let me hang out with friends
or go out by myself much when I was in high school. This didn't bother
me since I was a introverted homebody focused on graduating school with
decent grades.

Although these tiny houses are becoming trendy for its simplicity
and mobility, I think it's personally limiting. I'm used to being at
home in my one-bedroom apartment that has just enough space for my
mother and I to stretch. If I were to live in a tiny house, I think I
would miss having so much space. Also, I've alway felt that living in a
mobile home could be dangerous. I mean you're sleeping in a parked
mobile home and any crazy person could try to break into your mobile home.

They say home is where the heart is and some of us dwell in
modest apartments, cozy homes, or trailers. Thank to my mother, I live
in an apartment that has been designed by her creative and artistic
hands. I sometimes joke around with her saying that we live in a museum.
From our glass table to our clear, glass food containers, our home is
colorful, visually stimulating, and just right for us.
How about you all? Is your home decorated with a modern,
contemporary, or antique touch? Who chose the paint colors for all the
walls? Is there any paint wall color or not? Paint a picture of your
home for us in the comments down below. Happy Posting!